A Phoenix With No Wings

25- What Future?

So I read your comments and it seem like you guys are as confused as Niao Niao, lol! Anyway, enjoy!

Niao Niao sees herself standing in front of Zhang gate. It is so grand and magnificent. She's always behind those door, so she doesn't realise how big it actually is.

Her carriage stops when a guard tells them to. Giving Niao Niao more time to sightseeing. After few minutes inside the forbidden city, she finally gets off in front of the Phoenix Palace.

Its so nice to come back home, she thinks. Excitement shows on her face. It's been so long..

She tied her long black hair with a black ribbon. Just as usual. Her dress is flowing as she walks closer to the door.

Niao Niao looks around, inhaling the air. She used to be here everyday that's why she remembers every inch of her palace. Nothing has changed in the past 6 years, yet it feels so unfamiliar.

She can picture everything, but now she's a guest.

Niao Niao reach her hand to open the door, at the same time, the door is opened from the inside.

A couple from inside stare at her.

"Consort Hua?"  She is shock. Why is she coming from inside her chamber?

"I am Empress Hua." The woman says, making her forehead frowns. She steps back trying to process everything.

"Em-empress?" Niao Niao is stunned. "No! You are not an empress.. I am the empress.." hot tears falls from her eyes, she doesn't want to accept it.

"No.. pleaseee. Your majesty! I am your wife.." she cries desperately to the emperor.

"No! It's not true.." she wipes her tears. "I-

___
"No!" She cries.

Her body tenses up and somehow her head hit something hard.

Ouch!

The empress tries to balancing her body even though her head is still hurts. She holds her head to reduce the pain.

Her head hits the side of the bed, waking the emperor up.

"Are you okay?" The emperor asks her. "Does it hurt?" He holds her closer, trying to see whether she's okay or not. The dim lights doesn't help him at all, he still couldn't see her expression.

"Where are we?" She is trembling. Her teary eyes are wondering in the minimum lighting. Cold sweat starts to dripping from her forehead. She's terrified.

Right at that moment the emperor hugs her. He wipes off her tears with his hand and let her burry her face on his well built chest.

"Seems like you just have a bad dream. It's okay.. now everything is okay" the emperor pats her back.

It's not a bad dream, it's a nightmare.

They stay still like that for a good minutes before she finally able to control herself.

"Let's go." The emperor pulls her up, so she's now standing.

"Where?"

"Outside. Let's have a morning stroll." He suggests

What morning stroll? You mean midnight stroll? It is so dark outside.

The empress feels sorry to wake him up, so she just agrees.

The half moon shone brightly that night, in a dynasty where lights haven't been invented. They both walk on a heavenly path with lantern on their hands.

The empress leads the way since the emperor isn't familiar with the place. Isn't this is great? Walking together peacefully? The emperor stands still and see her back walking away.

It's just that they are too busy. Their days are always fills with political problems, poisoned river, public demonstrations, wars and never just a peaceful life. He doesn't complain, because he knows it is his job. But maybe, sometime in the future, or in their next life.. no! This shouldn't be. He exhale a frustration breath and walk quickly to catch up with her.

Under the moonlight that night, when he sees her inside the pavilion, her figure is slim and delicate, with her long silky black hair and flowy white dress. She glows, like a goddess.

That time he realised that he shouldn't build a path to happiness, but the path made of happiness. Let's don't wait until the future nor wait until our next life. Let's be happy now, right at this moment.

He holds her from behind and and kisses her shoulder.

"Don't let go of me." She whispers. "Because I will hang on." She has made her mind.

He hugs her tightly and rest his chin on her head. The emperor closes his eyes, simply enjoying every second of her accompaniment.

"Hao." (Okay)

The sun is ready to rose. The used to be dark place is now getting a hint of light. They spent the whole night to talk to each other. Like they said, the later it is the deeper the talk is.

"White lotus?" He asks. It's not common to have white lotus in Zhang kingdom. The breed is rare even in the whole world. The emperor remembers to get it once from Shan Mountain Temple, the only place to get it. And there's only less then a dozen flowers. But the empress has a pond full of white lotus. And it's a 5 acres pond.

"Hmm.." the empress nods. "It's hard to maintain, but I managed to make the flowers keep blooming."

"Huh?"

"You gave it to me, more than ten years ago." She
Told him.

"You.. still have it?" The emperor is taken a back. He never expected the empress will cherish it so much.

"Hm-hm." She nods and smiles at him.

He pats her head, "thank you." He smiles.

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